The Perils of Ridgecrest
by DgShadowChocolate
Summary: AU-Amy has to move to another school, and boy are things DIFFERENT! She definitley didn't expect insanity, drama, helicopters, tempers, or...a little romance? OC's welcome! Read and Review! Put on temporary Haitus untill interest returns.
1. Prolouge:I Wanna Go Home

Prologue

...I Wanna Go Home...

"What do you mean, we're moving?!"

"We're sorry honey, but your father's been transferred to a different district."

"I know it'll be hard to leave your friends, but you'll love Ridgecrest."

These words echoed endlessly in Amy's mind as the landscape of northern Nevada flashed by her eyes. Yes, they were moving. All the way from her cozy picturesque home in Idaho down to California. Sure, it wouldn't be too bad. It was California for crying out loud! Besides, Idaho's seasons had a habit of randomly switching to winter for a few days. (Actually, a comedian claimed that in Idaho, the four seasons were Winter, Secondary Winter, Deep Winter, and Tax Season.) Sunny California would be a nice change. '_Pine trees to palm trees_.' Amy thought ruefully as sagebrush streamed past their van.

Still, she'd miss her home and friends terribly. Her best friend in the entire universe, Cream, had come to see her off. The whole event had been a tearful, yes-I-promise-to-email-you, I'll-miss-you, goodbye. And who knew if she'd even fit in at her new high school? Thankfully, it was early in the year, so Amy would start Junior year somewhat late, but not by a lot. But one thing was for sure, she would definitely stand out.

}================{

Oddly enough, things started out great. Amy fell in love with the house the moment her family pulled into the driveway. Despite a rather small yard, the view was beautiful, overlooking a sprawling city with the distant glimmer of the ocean just over the horizon. And her room was awesome! Spacious white walls and two double doors that lead to a small balcony right above the front door! Unlike packing, unpacking and moving things into their new places was fun and went by fairly quickly.

However, as Amy lay on her newly placed bed Sunday night, soaking up the odd warmth in the breeze trickling through the doors, and staring up at her ceiling, the giddy excitement that comes with moving in faded away. Tomorrow, she'd start school. Twenty-four hundred kids and she didn't know a single one. Twenty-four hundred kids with different styles, customs, and ways of life. Amy sighed, rolling over.

_'It's bad enough it's on a Monday_.' She thought.

}================{

"Well, have a good day sweetie!"

Amy didn't move immediately, taking a moment to absorb the scene before her. She knew the school was big, but not _that_ big! The gargantuan building was a skyscraper compared to her old school-no, a football stadium! The student parking lot was filled with cars, many that would give most of the boys back home fainting spells. Sitting in her father's tan minivan made Amy feel even more out of place; if that was even possible.

_'A good day? I hope so_.' Amy took a deep breath. "Well...see ya dad." With the air of one facing certain doom, Amy stepped out of the car. She steeled herself and walked up the sidewalk, filled with dread.

Today was going to be a nightmare.

* * *

Behold-umz! A new story!  
Now don't be mad, this just smacked me in the idea section of my brain(actually it was a doodle of Shadow in high school and it went on from there...)

oh, P.S.

DON'T GO GOOGLING ANY OF THIS STUFF LIKE RIDGECREST!! I COMPLETELY MADE IT UP!!!(I'm too lazy to research stuff...)

Comedian quote copyright of Jeff Foxworthy.

Amy belongs to Sega( as if we didn't already know that!)

double P.S.

just a little fun thing. look closely at the chapter titles. For they shall be phrases from songs or song titles.  
speaking of which...**I Wanna Go Home** by Michael Buble.

R&R!!  
(seriously, do.)


	2. Chapter 1: I Will Survive

...I Will Survive, I Will Survive...

Amy walked through the schools double doors with several students and stopped. The school was even bigger on the _inside_. There was a large staircase leading up to the second floor in the middle of the main hall. Looking up, Amy saw other teens on the upper levels. She also saw the banner displaying the school's mascot, the Ridgecrest Whirlwinds. Actually, it was kinda hard to miss. It was huge and orange, ringed with black and had a picture of a blue tornado in the center.

Feeling incredibly small, Amy slowly moved forward. Where the heck was she supposed to go?! She didn't know where the office was, and there weren't any signs. Amy took a deep breath before she panicked. This was no place to be scared. A group of girls bustled past Amy, cell phones out and beeping. One of them, a black and white skunk and obviously the leader, looked Amy over with a critical eye. Amy smiled at her, trying to make a good impression. The skunk pointed her out to her group, said something, and they all burst out laughing.

Amy glared at them as they walked on, her stomach tightening into a hard little knot. '_Brats. Now I know who to avoid later on._'

She looked around again and saw a gold lion with red hair sitting at the base of the stairs, plucking a guitar; the plaintive notes of 'Cry Me a River' floating through the air. Forgetting her less-than-helpful experience, Amy made her way over to him.

"Office is the third door to the left." He said before she'd even opened her mouth. He kept his eyes on his guitar, so he didn't see her flush. At least, she hoped he didn't− his eyes were hidden behind his shaggy hair.

"Uh, thanks. I'm Amy by the way."

"Draco. Good luck." He replied, switching over to 'Feel Good Inc.' as Amy moved in the right direction. Maybe today wouldn't be so horrible after all! '_Mental note: trust Draco._' Amy thought, striding into the office with a little more confidence. In no time at all, she had a detailed map of the school, her locker information, and a bell schedule.

Oooookay, first class− Algebra. Great. Amy climbed the stairs and forged her way through the crowd of students. On her quest on not getting lost, Amy ignored the looks she was getting, determined to find her locked and some firm footing. But she could probably guess what they were thinking. _'Who's that?_, _Never seen her before._, _She's definitely not from around here.'_

With immense relief, Amy found and opened her locker. She threw in her backpack, pulled out a pencil and notebook, and took a step toward her class.

"_EEEEE-YOW-EEE-AARGH!!!_"

Amy thought she was having a heart attack. She jumped into the air and looked down. A white cat with brown hair was sitting cross-legged on the floor. She was rubbing her tail that had a perfect imprint of the underside of Amys shoe. "Sheesh, if you want my attention, just poke me or something." She grumbled, looking disgruntled. "You don't have to go extreme about it."

"Oh my gosh, I am so sorry! I didn't see you down there!"

"What?" The cat looked up and her blue eyes widened. Faster than was possible, she bounced to her feet, grinning. "Oh it's cool, it happens all the time. I just keep forgetting to wrap my tail around my waist. But I forget a lot of things lately, so I cant really use that excuse can I?" She gave a very baffled Amy a toothy smile and waited for the hedgehog to say something. It took a while, but Amy finally said, "Um...no?"

The cat giggled, her poofy ponytail waving. "Ha! Look at your face! I'll bet you're totally freaked out by now. Don't worry, I'm not insane. Most of the time. I'm Elise the Mentally Unstable. Or the cat, either one." She rolled her eyes and shrugged.

It was incredibly hard not to laugh at the end of Elise's random narrative. Grinning back, Amy decided she liked the cat. "I'm Amy, Amy Rose. My family just moved here."

"Ah, a newbie in uncharted land!" Elise went all serious and slung an arm around Amy's shoulders. "Fear not dear friend, for tho the road be perilous, thy strength of heart shall bear thee through."

"..."

"Uh, but in all un-seriousness, don't panic. After a while, you'll get used to things."

"Really?"

"Nope. PENCIL!"

Scaring Amy for the second time in five minutes, Elise dived off somewhere. A green hedgehog wearing sunglasses walked by and muttered to his friends, "I swear that cat is popping ecstasy or something."

The cat in question came back, holding an American flag pencil and looking just a bit uncomfortable. "Sorry, I'm a bit of a pencil hoarder. People think I'm weird."

"No, no that's...ok. I collect stamps. Or I used to..."

Right at that moment, the bell rang.

"Ah well, I'd best be going. Farewell-ith Amy, band awaits!"

Amy shook her head at the cat's retreating figure. Well, that one was odd, make no mistake. Still, she seemed nice enough. _'Maybe I'll see her later._'

~*~*~*~

By some unspoken miracle, Amy made it to lunch with hardly a scratch. Algebra was a horror, but that's just how the subject was. She made several other friends in Health and Biology. An armadillo named Mighty who was really good with CPR, Ashes, a gray and blue hedgehog with a short attention span, and two gerbil twins Aaron and Anna. Following the stream of teens into the cafeteria, she spotted Elise sitting with a group of friends. The cat promptly waved Amy over with a _lot_ of enthusiasm.

"Guys, this is Amy! She just moved here. Maddie, budge up, make some space."

Elise's group, The Random Sisters, were a lot of fun, if a little crazy. There was Carissa, a black fox who loved to randomly break out into song, Maddie, a purple and turquoise wolf that was acting as 'alpha' and hated every second of it, Jessie, a maroon rabbit that just wouldn't sit still, Tyler, a dark red lion who was pretty quiet most of the time and occasionally slipped something in, and Crystal, a bouncy pink and green bear with black streaks in her hair. She zoned in and out of the conversation with her MP3 player.

Ten minutes later, Amy was reaching for her Mountain Dew when Carissa, who was sitting next to her, froze, ears pricked up as high as they would go, and eyes very wide. "Incoming! Third to the left!"

Every head, except Amy's and Crystal's, turned. Eyes were glazed, lips curled into dreamy smiles, and every three seconds someone let out a sigh.

"Uh..." Amy tried to see what had captured their attention. "What are you looking at?"

Jessie pointed. "That." She said breathlessly.

A hedgehog was walking by, and he was probably the hottest guy Amy had ever seen. His fur and quills were a deep black and highlighted with red stripes. The Zumez jacke he wore, matched his fur perfectly. His eyes were red and calculating as they swept over the tables, his expression somewhat blank. The Random Sisters all looked away before he noticed them, but Amy, not really sure what was going on, met his gaze. In the few seconds before she looked away, she saw him raise his eyebrow and a small spark of curiosity danced in his ruby eyes. He walked on and Amy looked down at her pizza, her heart thumping. _'Whoa...hot..._'

"Wow! He looked at you!"

Amy raised her eyes to stare at the others, still feeling a little star-struck. "Who was that?"

"Only the best looking guy in the universe!" crooned Jessie.

"The only boy worth staring at!" Maddie breathed.

"The very essence of hot-ness!" Carissa gibbered.

"The sexy, tall-dark-and-handsome hedgehog that every girl has dreamed of!" Elise's eyes were unfocused.

As one they all sighed, "Shadow the Hedgehog!"

Amy sweat-dropped at the love-struck looks on her friend's faces. Crystal blinking pulling out one of her earphones. "What?"

~*~*~*~

Still a bit incredulous, Amy walked into Computer Tech. Ok yeah, he was hot, but was he that drool-worthy? He didn't really look that fun to be around, all dark and serious. Amy didn't notice that she'd walked right past the object of her musings until she sat down in the row behind him. She stiffened and stared at him. He seemed to zone out the world as he read the webpage before him. However, as if he sensed her, his head rose and he turned around. Amy (she was ready for it this time) quickly watched a blue-furred kangaroo bother his girlfriend and get whacked in the head until she thought it was safe. Shadow had turned back to his computer, but it looked like he was sighing.

The hedgehog flew out of Amy's mind as the class started. The teacher demanded undivided attention as he introduced the section they'd be working on. Who knew Excel was so complicated? When the bell finally ran, Amy stood and stretched. The day was almost over, and she'd survived!

She'd made some friends, had found her classes, and besides the Brat Bunch she'd met this morning, nobody had made her feel like an outsider! She felt good as she headed to English.

Amy had barely made it to her locker before something pushed her against the wall and held her there with surprising strength.

"Say it's true!"

"S−say what's true?! And let go of me!"

Elise rolled her eyes impatiently, but stepped back to give Amy some breathing room. "Well duh, do I have to spell it out? You. Have. A. Class. With. Shadow. Do you deny it?"

"I−whoa, whoa, wait! How did you know?"

"HA, that confirms it! It's true! Oh, and I have spies everywhere. Speaking of which..." Elise turned to a purple chameleon who'd appeared out of nowhere and gave him ten bucks. "Thanks Espio."

Espio bowed and melted out of sight. Amy stared at the spot hed been standing, somewhat disturbed. She had freakin _SPIES?! _Just what was this place she'd moved to?!

"You are so lucky."

Amy sighed in exasperation. "Oh come on Elise, how am I lucky? I don't even talk to him. Besides," She continued, opening her locker and snatching her backpack, "He hasn't shown any sign of wanting to know me, so I'm sure well just ignore each other."

"You could always talk to him."

"I prefer it when guys make the first move."

"Old fashioned, but I still like ya for it. Have fun!"

Oh she'd have fun alright. Amy knew this the moment she saw a black and red hedgehog at the back of the classroom. She was assigned to sit next to him, seeing as that was the only empty seat left. Shadow completely ignored her as she sat down, absently writing in his binder.

And it was like that throughout the rest of the class. Amy divided her time between listening to the teacher ramble on about Shakespeare and staring at Shadow with growing annoyance. He never looked at her, said anything to her, nothing! He just...sat there! She knew that he knew she was there, and yet he pretended that she was just a patch of air! She remembered what Elise said earlier and couldn't take it anymore! The teacher assigned a partner assignment, so the room was filled with chatter. Amy turned to Shadow.

"Hi, I'm Amy and I−"

"My name is Shadow; no you can't have my number, cell number, address, or email. I don't date and have no wish to do so, thank you." He cut across her in a bored voice.

There were several seconds of awkward silence before Amy was able to say something.

"I...wasn't going to say that."

"Hmph, that's what they all say. But since girls have shallow minds from constantly thinking about looks, make-up, and the latest hair accessories, they're not very good at lying."

If the classroom hadn't been so noisy, you could've heard a pin drop. Amy gaped at Shadow in disbelief as he deftly twiddled his pencil in between his fingers and asked in that same bored tone, "So, do you understand what were supposed to do?" He didn't even look at her.

'_Oh no he DIDN'T_?!_'_

"No, I'm afraid I don't. I was too busy thinking about looks, make-up, and the latest hair accessories to pay attention with this shallow mind of mine. Could you please tell me what were doing so I can instantly forget?!" Amy's voice was the perfect blend of sarcasm and venom. At that, Shadow finally turned, his red eyes annoyed.

"Since when do girls have sarcasm streaks?"

"Since when did boys get sexist?" Amy shot back, doing her best to control her temper. People closest to their table started to stare, but she didn't care.

"Because, nowadays girls are just as predictable as the rising sun!"

"Oh, well I hate to rain on you parade buddy, but I am NOT your average girl! The sooner you learn that, the better!"

They glared at each other− irritated male versus incensed female. Shadow's glare was stronger than hers however, and Amy looked away, scowling at the assignment on the white board.

"Hasn't anybody taught you the values of manners?" Shadow muttered.

"Nope, but the next class I find, I'm taking you with me!" Amy snapped.

The bell rang. Amy stalked out the classroom her face a dark thundercloud. What a JERK! Values of manners?! He started it, this stupid hypocrite! Shadow caught up to Amy and stood in front of her, not quite done with her yet.

"I don't know if anyone's told you, but things are done differently here." He said frostily.

Amy glared up at him −he was and inch or two taller than her− determined to have the final say. "That's obvious Shadow. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go home and read my 25 copies of Seventeen and eat some ice cream, like _everybody else_!"

That being said, she pushed past him before her temper got out of control. She hurried down the hallway brushing away tears of anger. Whispers of confusion followed her. On her way down the stairs, she passed the group of girls that had laughed at her earlier. The leader looked over at her and called out in a sneering voice, "Oh look, it's the new girl. What's wrong? Had a bad−"

"Oh just shut up you stupid diva! I don't have time to deal with your crap right now!"

Amy's temper was like a raging volcano and a legend back at home. They occasionally called her 'Mount McAmy', but only when she was in a good mood. Much, much, later Amy would enjoy the look on that skunk's face and the snorts from passersby. She'd probably just made a potential enemy, but right now she didn't care.

~*~*~*~

Amy collapsed onto her bed with an exhausted sigh. School had never been so tiring. '_You're still getting used to things here, that's all._' She thought, kicking off her shoes. _'Like the heat, insane friends, and really stupid jerks._'

Before she fell back into a bad mood, Amy rolled off her bed and booted up her computer. She silently counted to 100 by tens until the web browser loaded up. Amy signed into her email account. There were several messages there from her friends back home. Smiling, Amy clicked on the message from **flowerQuEen21**, aka: Cream.

**Hi Amy, how R U doing? I miss  
you a lot. Was school ok?**

Amy fought back a surge of homesickness and typed a reply.

**Hey Cream. I miss U too.  
School...it was ok. Made some  
new friends. You'd love them.**

Sending that, Amy went back to her inbox. Her smile faded as she read the address from the second message. **running_Dude4reAl**. Carefully, as if the monitor would blow up the moment she opened it.

**Hey Ames! Sorry I wasn't there  
to see ya off. It's just that Sally  
had a dance and**

Aaaand that was time for her to go to bed before she started crying. Snuggling into the warm protection of her bed later that night, Amy tried to fall asleep and get ready to face the next day in California.

**Author's Note: Yello! Anyone you don't know here belongs to me and/or the Random Sisters.**

**R&R peoples!**


	3. Chapter 2: 'Cause It's All In My Head

...Cause It's All In My Head...

Shadow stared after Amy as she stomped away from him. '_What the...what was that?!_' he thought, hardly aware of people brushing past him. Nobody had _ever_ talked back to him before. Stunned, Shadow gathered his things from his locker and walked out to the parking lot. Mechanically navigating his way through the crowds of students, Shadow walked towards a line of motorcycles. His mind had recovered from the initial shock of the argument, but he was still preoccupied.

"What's on your mind Shadow?"

A light orange hedgehog with black-tipped quills leaned against his navy blue and black bike, watching Shadow with impassive brown eyes.

"Just something trivial." Shadow replied, pulling on his bike jacket and walking up to his own bike, a vintage G.U.N. army surplus bike he'd gotten for his 15th birthday.

"Oh?"

Shadow sighed at the disbelieving tone of the hedgehog, about to put on his helmet. "The new girl." He said, looking at his closest friend Venus.

Venus raised an eyebrow. "Interesting?"

"No, she's a downright annoying brat! She has an overlarge temper, no respect, and she talks back like a six-year-old!"

Venus studied his friend for a moment, then he blinked and turned to his bike. "Hmmm...sounds like she's a perfect match for you. You should get to know her."

Shadow's jaw almost touched the asphalt. He didn't just say...him and Amy?! No...no way!

He quickly composed himself before Venus noticed. "Huh, as if. I don't even like her." He snorted, jamming on his helmet. Venus shrugged, kick-starting his bike.

"Suit yourself, you never know." He said over the rumble of the engine, zooming away.

'_Why is he my friend again?_' Shadow thought, riding home. Home was a glorified apartment complex stacked atop each other like legos. Shadow stared at his shoes as he climbed the metal stairs, making as much noise as possible.

Trying to drown out her voice.

Shadow unlocked the apartment, dropped his backpack on the sofa, and made a beeline for his room, falling face forward on his couch-like bed. The cool material of the covers did nothing to clear his mind of Amy's voice, her words, her face

He growled, rolling over and closing his eyes, pressing his hands against his temples. He concentrated on the weather, the color of his shirt, the capital of China, _anything_ not related to Amy. His job, the beach, pink fur−

Shadow shook his head, trying again. Beethoven, Dr. Pepper, wide green eyes−

It was no use. He opened his eyes and glumly stared at the ceiling. When he thought about it with a level head, most of it really was his fault. He'd been rude, interrupting and judging her, not allowing her to explain herself. Well, after his extensive experience with girls, he'd expected her to be the same, blinded by his good looks to really care about how he really was. He did not expect her to match his every comment with one of her own, verbally sparring with him.

It had thrown him off guard, irritating him and only making the situation worse. '_She probably hates my guts by now._' Shadow mused, standing up and walking to the small kitchenette just off the living room. '_Oh well, at least she's not mooning over me like the rest of the female population._'

Why did he feel...disappointed? No, no− he was just hungry, yeah that was it. Hungry. For what? Chili from yesterday, takeout, pink hair flowing through his fingers...

Shadow froze, his leg ridiculously hanging in the air in mid-walk. He didn't just...what had that hedgehog done to him?! His mind wasn't his own anymore! He took deep steadying breaths, resisting the urge to smack his head against the wall repeatedly until his brains went back to normal. This was beyond annoying! This was, was−

He couldn't think of anything. Anything not pink that is. Hell, he didn't even _like_ pink!

There would be no sleep tonight.

~*~*~*~

Shadow barely suppressed a yawn as he stumbled into the shower the next morning. Eyes half-closed, he purposefully turned on the cold water and smothered a gasp as ice poured down his back. Still, it woke him up. Last night was the worst night _ever_! He'd tossed and turned, vainly trying to fall asleep. But she was still there, no matter what he did. After about 2 am, he'd given up.

Shadow rubbed soap into his fur, shivering. This wasn't fair. It was bad enough that karma had tortured him with her all day, but all night?! What was up with that?! He felt like punching something.

'_No, I have to calm myself down. For the sake of being civil, I should try to make amends._'

Turning off the water, he stepped out, toweling himself dry before going into the morning routine. The coffee maker hummed as Shadow texted his dad a 'Good Morning'. He'd probably notice it around noon or so, if he wasn't riding then.

He sipped the drink idly, slowly walking to a room at the back, a room he only visited at certain times. Like now. Carefully setting the coffee on the floor, Shadow turned the doorknob and entered his parent's room. With slow deliberate steps, he strode to the closet, kneeling on the floor before the picture just inside the doors.

"Hey mom..."

~*~*~*~

Now that she knew where the school was, Amy decided to walk that morning. It wasn't that far and she needed the exercise. It was so weird going out in the early morning without a jacket and feel perfectly fine. Actually, the red and white streaked T-shirt she wore felt hot, even in the light breeze. It was so different from home.

Amy looked down at her boots, scuffing small rocks away on the sidewalk. Home...she missed it a lot. The familiar places, faces, and sights. Her friends, her school, even the sky. She'd noticed last night that stars were different here, arranged in different patterns than the 'Big Dipper' and 'Draco' she was used to seeing. It only made her feel worse.

Amy sighed looking up at the swaying palm trees above her. It wasn't that bad here though. She'd always wanted to see California; Hollywood, L.A., sunny beaches. She just never thought she'd be living here.

"Hey no! Come back!"

Some white papers flew past her, and Amy turned around in time to have something slam into her, pushing her to the ground.

"Ow! Oh no, I'm so sorry! Are you alright? I didn't see you there! I'm such an idiot! Is anything broken? I should call an ambulance! The E.R! The surgeon general! The−"

Amy watched a small tiger-like cat flutter about, his voice a nervous babble. Long hair partially hid his face and black markings framed his eyes, vivid against white-gray fur. He was working himself into a panic attack, so she quickly jumped up. "No, it's ok I'm fine." She held the cat in place by his thin shoulders. He was almost a foot shorter than her, and looked like the next breeze would blow him away. His purple eyes were anxious as he stared up at her.

"Y-your sure?"

"Positive. See? Not a scratch." Amy thought she could feel a bruise forming behind her ear, but decided not to mention it. The cat would probably faint.

"Oh," he sagged with relief. "That's good. I really am sorry. You're the new girl, Annie right?"

"Amy. Here's your papers."

"My name is Bach Stevenson. Thank you, they blew out of my sketchbook."

Any did a double-take at the drawings, immediately captivated by the brilliant shading and sketching of a stallion running into a sunset, mane and tail rippling like fire, its eyes burning with wild energy.

"Whoa...you drew these?!"

Bach blushed, looking away and shuffling his black and neon green sneakers. "Ah, yeah. I try not to let a lot of people know because− _oh no_!"

He shot up a tree just before a sports car zoomed around the corner. It was a sleek Ferrari, ruby red and shining in the morning light, a black pentagram blazing on the hood. The top was down and heavy rap music was thudding through the speakers.

It slowed down enough that Amy could see the passengers. A blood-red fox wearing dark sunglasses was driving and seated next to him was a gorgeous leopard. She flicked her fingers and the car stopped. The leopard leaned out towards Amy, her long hair cascading down the side of the car. Satin eyes slowly roamed every inch of Amy in a blank, dead stare.

Irrationally scared, but determined no to show it, Amy stared back, noting the teen's stylish black shirt and shiny spotted fur. The girl raised and eyebrow and lifted a hand clad in a fingerless black glove.

A snap of the fingers, and they were gone.

'..._who were they?_'

Shaken, Amy stared after the rapidly vanishing Ferrari. Why had that girl looked at her like that? She didn't even say anything. And there was something...scary about her; like she could easily cause you a lot of pain without breaking a sweat.

_Thud._

Amy jumped as something large fell heavily behind her.

"Gaah!"

"Ugh...sorry." Bach was lying face up on the sidewalk looking dazed.

"One should always...follow...one's survival in...instincts...ow"

'_Somehow,_' Amy thought, continuing to school with a slightly limping Bach. '_That makes perfect sense._'

~*~*~*~

"You look terrible."

"Thanks _so_ much."

Venus placed a hand on Shadow's shoulder. "Just telling it like it is."

"Right." Shadow opened his locker, allowing a freshman to step out and enjoy freedom. "Next time, run faster and you'll live to see graduation."

Venus watched the kid dash off before returning to their conversation. "Seriously, did you get enough sleep last night?"

"As a matter of fact, no." Shadow said, flippantly sarcastic as he slammed his locker shut. Sleep deprivation + school = Worst. Mix. Ever.

"I couldn't sleep at all last night. And before you say _anything_, it had NOTHING to do with− Venus?" The red-tipped hedgehog's tirade stopped when he noticed that his best friend wasn't listening.

"...Oh not again."

Venus stood still at the top of the stairs, his normal blank expression replaced by a dreamy look as he watched a group of girls clustered near the front doors. Or more specifically, he watched a girl. A black fox with long brown hair chatting with her friends.

"Don't you think her hair is pretty the way it waves around?"

"Oh yeah, stunning. It matches your eyes."

"Really?! I never noticed before!" Not registering Shadow's sarcasm, the orange hedgehog tried to see his reflection in his watch. Shadow rolled his eyes and growled.

"Venus, for Pete's Sake, just ask the dumb girl out! This isn't healthy. It's...downright pitiful."

"...I love the color black."

"D-do you know how wrong that sounds?! What color am I?"

Venus blinked at him. "Did you say something?"

"Oh forget it." Shadow stomped off to his first class. The day went downhill from there. He fell asleep during History and came close to failing a test. He saw Amy in the hallway and nearly walked into a wall due to his inattention. Another girl flung herself at him, begging for a date and joined the ranks of countless others he'd turned down. And to cap it all, he actually felt nervous about facing Amy in English. _Nervous_!

He went off-campus for lunch. A tall mocha cappuccino was calling his name.

In slightly better spirits, Shadow rode back to see a large helicopter landing in the football field. '_Huh, that one girl is back._'

Parking his bike, he made his way inside. He'd barely walked inside before he had to dive to the side to avoid getting trampled by the girls from this morning.

"TYLINS BACK! _WHHAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!!!_"

The group regionally known as 'The Random Sisters' blasted outside, whooping and yelling. As the dust settled, the double doors sagged forlornly on their hinges.

'_If this keeps up, the school will have to buy new doors. Again._'

Shaking his head, Shadow turned to head off to Computer Tech. 8,675 mouse clicks later, the hedgehog's stride was careful, but not unconfident. He was fairly sure of how to apologize. It was just...he'd never have to do it before.

But the cards didn't turn in his favor. Today was 'Notes Day', so they spent the entire hour copying off of overheads. Amy ignored him completely.

'_Oh sweet irony._'

The bell rang.

Shadow turned to Amy, only to find her halfway to the door. Growling under his breath, he grabbed his books and ran after her.

"Amy!" He managed to catch her outside the door. She turned to him, her green eyes snapping.

"Do I know you?" She asked harshly. Her attitude immediately set off his bad mood. How immature can you get?! He glared back.

"Yes, you idiot. I'm Shadow!"

"Oh I'm sorry, I though you were Tom Cruise. My mistake." She stalked away and Shadow could've sworn his eye twitched. He was suddenly gripped with the desire to crack his head against the wall again.

~*~*~*~

Amy closed her locker feeling triumphant. She'd held her own today and it felt good. '_Amy one, Shadow zero._' She thought smiling. Still grinning, she started going down the stairs. Something shoved her in the back− hard.

Her books clattered against the concrete stairs as she fell.

"Aaah!"

Her face was less than a foot away from smashing into the stairs when an arm wrapped around her waist, catching her. Amy looked up into yellow-green eyes.

"Are you alright?" A dark gray wolf asked, his voice nuetral.

"Yeah." Amy nodded.

"Ha!" The scornful laugh caused both to look up. The skunk Amy had yelled at yesterday was standing at the top of the stairs, surrounded by her cliche and smirking evilly.

"Oh dear, you're such a klutz. Well, small wonder with those clown boots you're wearing. Here's hoping the police don't find out it was you who robbed the circus side show!"

She threw back her head and laughed, her groupies joining in. Amy flushed in her savior's arms, but glared up at the skunk, her temper rising.

"Oh you're one to talk, Miss Rejectimenta!"

The crowd of bystanders gasped. "Ohhhhh...."

The skunk's orange eyes hardened, but she laughed off Amy's shot. "Is that the best you can do? You should go back to your shack, hillbilly." She turned and froze, face-to-face with the leopard from this morning, her fox friend hovering behind her.

All the color drained from the brats face.

"What's so funny Stacey? I'm afraid I _missed_ the joke."

Her voice was smooth, like velvet; yet it was the most menacing thing Amy had ever heard. She repressed a shudder and felt the wolf next to her tense somewhat. Stacey spluttered, her hands shaking. The leopard's eyes narrowed.

"Walk away."

Stacey's sneer returned, but her voice was shaky. "Come on girls, we have better things to do."

She walked away rather quickly, her groupies running to catch up. The people watching continued slowly on their way, throwing looks at Amy and fearful glances at the leopard watching the skunk flounce away, her lip curled in a silent snarl.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"Huh?" Amy was wrenched away from the leopard and with a blush, realized the wolf was still holding her, his arm muscular underneath his black jacket. "Oh...y-yeah, I'm ok. Thank you."

She smiled at him as he let her go. "Good. Be careful around Stacey. She's a real b****."

"Yeah, I kinda figured that out by myself. Well, I'll see you la−"

"You."

Amy looked up to see a gloved hand pointing directly into her face. The leopard's eyes were dark and unreadable.

"You...come with me."

**Author's Note: Dun, Dun, Duuun! **Bach** & **Stacey **& **Venus** belong to me. My friends belong to themselves.  
Ah...mimph I don't want to spoil it by saying their names...The **leopard** and the **fox** belong to **Shirogami or Kurogami**.  
The **wolf** who's name I don't want to mention at the moment belongs to **Z.P.  
**Next chapter I'll reveal who these peoples are! So...**

**Elise the Cat: Read and Review!**

**(P.S. I am well aware that **Venus** is normally considered a girl name. Whatever.).'**


	4. Chapter 3: Or My Brainwork Snaps

...Or My Brainwork Snaps...

The scene froze again at the leopard's command− one could almost feel the tension and fear. The leopard turned and, with all the authority of an Empress, strode into a classroom. Amy swallowed, but put on a brave face and started climbing the stairs. The hulking fox that had stood behind his friend watched her silently. Nervously, Amy looked up into dark, solid sunglasses.

"Hey."

Amy's rescuer held her books as he climbed up to them, brushing off dirt. "You almost left these." He said before glancing at the blood-red fox.

"Vix."

"Luprus." Vix said, his voice a subtle quiet. "I'll take those," He added, sliding Amy's books under his arm. "Jazmin is waiting for us."

The fox walked to the classroom door and held it open, waiting. With an odd sense of impending doom, Amy followed.

'_Calm down Amy. You don't know who these people are, but that's ok. Nothing's going to happen, right?_'

She couldn't help but look back. Nobody had moved. Her classmates were murmuring to each other and Amy saw some of the Random Sisters mixed in with the crowd, their faces clouded with worry. Luprus hadn't moved either. He watched with serious eyes, his expression unreadable.

'_Yeah...right._' Amy thought as Vix closed the door. The click of the latch seemed ominous in the silence. The leopard, Jazmin, was lounging in one of the desks, arms behind her head, eyes on the ceiling. It was an innocent enough pose, but she was still intimidating.

Sensing Vix behind her, Amy woodenly moved farther inside, trying to keep her hands from shaking.

'_This is so creepy..._'

As if just noticing she was there, Jazmin looked at her and sat straighter.

"Please, sit." Polite, but still and order.

Amy sat immediately, staring into the leopard's eyes. They were blank, but they seemed to hold her in place, pulling her in deeper and deeper...

"Huh."

The spell broken, Amy blinked, seeing a flash of emotion in Jazmin's eyes. "Interesting...what drink do you prefer?"

"Mountain Dew." Amy blurted, caught off guard by the abrupt question. Jazmin snapped her fingers and like lightning, Vix pulled something from his backpack and threw it with blinding speed.

Jazmin caught the can one-handed without even looking.

Amy numbly accepted the pop, eyes wide. A hard smile twisted Jazmin's lips.

"Who are you?"

"A− Amy Rose. I just moved here."

"Yes, I'm aware of that." Her eyes flicked to the Dew clenched in between Amy's tense hands, and her face flickered with humor.

"It's not poisoned, I promise."

Amy quickly pricked open the can and took a sip. The familiar spritzy taste calmed her down a little and she drank a bit more.

"Now," Jazmin began as Amy set the Dew down. "As much as I would like to know how you, a new student barely two days old here, managed to spark that b****s wrath, now is not the time to satisfy my curiosity."

'_Yet._' Amy thought as the leopard stood up. She stared down at her like she was inspecting her through a microscope. "I must inform you, Stacey Beau has an enormous amount of influence over this school. Popular, involved, absolute angel to adults, Captain of the Cheerleading Squad. Her boyfriend is the President of the Student Council, if you can call it that."

Jazmin snorted, closing her eyes. "In the long run, her word is law. Those that resist or cross her are made examples of and are left in the dust."

"What?!"

Jazmin's smile was brittle as she sat on a desktop. "Public humiliation is a potent and efficient method of crushing the weak and setting yourself up at the top. Stacey knows this and uses it at every opportunity. It gives her power, and she loves power. Oh don't worry," She added as Amy opened her mouth. "There are some that are immune to her control. You know of the Random Sisters? That skunk tried to get to them."

The leopard chuckled darkly, Vix coming up behind her and idly running his fingers through her hair.

"The little b**** was furious. The group fought back marvelously. Some of my more favorite photos."

Amy nodded, drinking some more. That made perfect sense to her. She couldn't see anyone taking down those guys.

"But you need not worry, the one thing Stacey fears most is I. After today, I'll...take care of her."

The sudden lump in her throat made it difficult to swallow. Amy stared at Jazmin, sitting like a queen, and hid a shudder. Jazmin noticed however. She pulled away from Vix's touch and leaned closer to Amy, her pale green eyes glinting.

"Questions?"

'_Why the heck is everyone scared of you, including me?!_' "Uh...I'm just wondering why you're telling me all this."

A cruel smile twisted the leopard's lips. "Because I find you interesting, and I make a point of preserving things that are an interest to me. Vix is living proof of that."

The fox in question barely even moved at the mention of his name. "I wouldn't bother if I didn't sense the resistance in you." Jazmin continued, leaning back into Vix's fingers.

What happened that morning flashed through Amy's mind, a stunning leopard leaning toward her and freezing her with her gaze. Abruptly, Jazmin stood, Vix moving with her.

"One final warning: Do not put too much faith in the friends you make here. When they are really needed, most will show their true colors. May your enemies writhe in agony."

And with that, they left.

Amy stared at the closed door, mind going a mile a minute without a coherent thought. Eventually, the rose hedgehog walked home, Jazmin's words ringing in her ears.

She had a feeling it would be a long time until she could fall asleep that night.

~*~*~*~

"Hey Delgato, maybe we should extend the solo to another half measure?"

"Drum or guitar?"

"What's the mood of the song again?"

A muscular tiger with long black hair pulled back in a ponytail rolled his eyes to the ceiling. "Attitude with bombastic anger and denial."

"Drums."

Delgato grinned. "Excellent. Then a key change rounding off the last sequence?"

"Sounds good. Shadow, what do you think? Shadow? ...Shaaaadoooww??"

Staring off into space, Shadow didn't notice the lion trying to get his attention until Delgato clacked his drumsticks in his face. Three inches away from his nose to be exact.

_Clack!_

"WHAT?!"

"What's 17 times 4,375.16?"

"74,377.72, why?"

A golden furred lion with long hair like fire sat next to Shadow on the piano bench. "I'll trust you on that. I'm mostly checking that you're still on Planet Earth." He sighed. "Also, we still need your opinion for the song were working on; if you're up for it?"

Shadow sighed, forcing him back into the present.

"Sorry. 'Lot on my mind. What's up?"

One of his friends, a lion named Draco, was head of a newly rising band called, '60Seven'. Shadow didn't play _in_ the band, but he gave input and advice on the music, putting it together and whatnot. Most of the time, working with these guys was the highlight of his day, but today...

"I agree. After the solo, bump the key up a whole step with something...interesting with bass in the end, almost like an afterthought. Then..."

"Finish with guitar." Draco continued. He shot a look at the red-tipped hedgehog next to him. "Talk?"

"Nope."

"M'kay. Pack it up boys, let's go home. Lyric meeting at Delgato's this weekend."

Chattering and jostling each other, the members of 60Seven filed out of the school auditorium, storing their instruments in a private storage room they'd convinced the school board into giving them. All except Draco, who never let his acoustic guitar− dubbed Odysseus− out of his sight.

Shadow barely even noticed them leaving. He stared down at the ivory piano keys without really seeing them. He ran his fingers down the keys, outlining a random chord, but not actually playing.

_TEN MINUTES LATER..._

Instead of riding like he usually did, Shadow obstinately pushed his motorbike through the dark suburbs. He just didn't feel like it.

He knew the reason why too.

"You won't let me sleep, you won't let me think, you won't let me ride..." The ebony hedgehog looked up at the stars with growing anger. "What's next? You won't let me eat?!"

He growled at the pressing silence around him, but continued to...wherever he was going. He hadn't expected an answer, but then again, there were many things he didn't expect. Like the one that infuriatingly stayed in his mind far longer than she should.

Shadow stopped, jaw clenched, eyes shut, vainly trying to understand, trying to force it out of his head, out of existence.

And then, he heard the scream.

**Author's Note: I dunno...this seemed good on paper...**

**Elise the Cat: Bonus points to whoever can guess the song in the title!**

**(Now you can know the names) _Jazmin_ and _Vix_ belong to **Shirogami or Kurogami**. The _wolf_ - who I dubbed as _Luprus_ - belongs to **Z.P. **(hope you don't mind if I added a name!) _Delgato the Tiger_** **belongs to my esteemed friend **Bella M. Cullen04 **and _Draco_ is **mine**.**

**Shadow and Amy from SEGAAAAAAAA!**

**Elise the Cat: R&R**


	5. Chapter 4: You Found Me

**_Author's Note: I am so flippin happy this stupid chapter is done.  
Shadow and Amy and Scourge belong to SEGA. R&R_**

**_Elise the Cat: Seriously. Do. I mean it._**

You Found Me

**I dunno Cream, it felt like I couldn't  
breathe around her! It was so creepy!  
And everybody was so scared...**

**...call me crazy, but I feel lucky  
to be alive. Talk to you later.**

It felt good to talk about it someone, but...

_Because I find you interesting, and I make a point of preserving things that are an interest to me._

Amy pushed away from her computer, the chair's wheels rolling and squeaking across the wooden floor in her room. She rested her head back and spun in a slow circle, trying to figure out why Jazmin's words were getting to her.

_'Weird? Very. Morbid? Sorta. Scary? Well...possibly. It was nice of her to tell me this stuff but...ugh, there's something about her and Vix that just_...'

The pink hedgehog stood, brushing back her bangs with a sigh. She had to think about something else, something less...creepy.

She walked out to the balcony, gazing up at the stars. '_So what if I don't know this place? I'm good with direction.'_

She grabbed her jacket and quietly slipped down the stairs. Her parents didn't know that she sometimes snuck out and now didn't seem like a good time for them to find out. Opening the door, Amy set off down the sidewalk.

The night was calm, the starry sky was clear, and the roads were practically empty. In short, perfect conditions for a night walk. Amy drew in a long breath, sticking her hands in her jacket pockets.

It felt so nice to be out of the house, to be breathing in the free air without people watching.

_'That's the awesome thing about night.' _Amy thought, staring up at the dark palm trees above her. '_It's a nice place to escape to.'_

The farther she went, the more she loosened up. The blocks and streets melted with the stress that'd built up inside her for the past few days. Her smile grew as the shadows constantly changed around her, her breathing easy. Undercover of night, Amy explored Ridgecrest, traveling through the dark suburbs and hidden byways behind towering fences.

When she finally checked her watch, her eyes widened. She'd been out for over an hour! '_If I don't get back soon, two words: Major Bust!'_

Amy quickly started down the sidewalk in the general direction of home, following the street signs. She had a sinking feeling that this wasn't a good idea, but did her best to ignore it.

Three blocks later a car passed by her and lurched to a halt. Amy's stomach plummeted. She couldn't see who was driving; the windows were too dark. Plus, they vibrated from the thick thudding of the car stereo being put through its paces. But, the sight of it gave her a very bad feeling.

As casually as she could, the hedgehog kept walking until the driver's window rolled down. Heavy rap music pounded through the air as the driver looked Amy over. He was a green hedgehog with sun glasses who seemed...familiar.

"Hey babe, why ya wanderin' round this neighborhood? Pretty flower like you could get hurt."

His voice was slurred and as he finished, his two friends started laughing. Loud, crazy laughter.

"Hop in with us baby. We'll keep ya safe."

"I'll pass." Every inch of her was screaming to get out of there, and this time she agreed. Amy started walking faster, but the car easily kept up with her.

"Hey come on, tonight's the night!" One of them yelled and all of them whooped and high-fived each other.

Amy felt cold sweat on the back of her neck and she left the sidewalk, cutting through a darkened park. There was no doubt they were drunk and even worse, they were driving a car.

"Hey! Where ya goin' hot stuff?"

_'Don't look back, just keep going. Don't look back, just keep going.'_ Amy chanted in her head, ducking under some swings. The sudden silence from the road had her running.

She wasn't fast enough.

Amy heard them pounding after her before something caught hold of her legs. She pitched forward and felt one of them straddling her back.

"We'll bring the party to you baby." He whispered into her ear, his breath rank with alcohol. Hands were scrabbling at her jean's waistline and she kicked out viciously, connecting with something soft.

Someone swore and punched her in the side. Amy gasped in pain, and that made things worse. They held down her legs as his hands squirmed under her.

She screamed.

They laughed and he slammed her head against the ground. Blood rushed into her mouth and her vision blurred, their laughter ringing in her ears.

There was a flash of light, and with a roar, a motorbike skidded into the park, blinding the boys tormenting Amy. They jumped up and ran at the rider, yelling.

Numbly wiping blood from her mouth, Amy looked up and caught a blurry picture of someone clothed in black leather wiping the floor with the three drunkies. He threw in punches and kicks, his arms a blur.

As the boys ran off, the cyclist turned and gasped. "Amy?! What the heck are you doing here?"

Shadow dropped to his knees and lifted Amy up. Her face was stained red from the blood pouring from her bruised nose and her eyes were unfocused. Shadow ripped off his riding jacket and wiped the blood from her face. It was obvious that Amy wasn't completely in reality. She shifted feebly, but didn't seem to notice who he was, or what was going on.

"Of all the thousands of people here..." Shadow muttered sourly, scooping Amy up into his arms and walking to his bike.

A kick and a twist of the wrist, and they were zooming off. Shadow held Amy close in front of him as the pavement flew under the black hedgehog's bike. '_I'll get her home, do a better job with that blood, and maybe fix some...hot chocolate or something. Do I even have milk?'_

He should've known it wouldn't be that easy.

Amy suddenly came to with a jerk, causing Shadow's steering to wobble. She whipped her head wildly around and spoke before Shadow could.

"What? Where am I? Where are those− those...oh my gosh. Oh My Gosh! _OHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSH−"_

Her voice pitched louder as she started flipping out. Somewhat panicky himself, Shadow hastily pulled over; which was good because right at that moment, Amy jumped off the bike before he'd completely stopped.

The pink hedgehog started pacing away from him, getting more hysterical by the second. She didn't notice Shadow coming up behind her.

_"THEY ALMOST− THEY TRIED TO− OH MY FRIGGIN GOSH! WHERE ARE THEY? WHERE DID THEY GO? WHAT THE HECK HAP−"_

That was as far as she got before he slapped her.

He didn't like it at all, but he knew that a good sharp shock was the best way to bring her out of it. He needed her sane at the moment. Amy blinked rapidly, rubbing her cheek. "I needed that, thanks."

"Don't mention it."

Amy jerked her head around to face him with incredulous eyes. "Shadow?"

"Nope, Tom Cruise."

Shadow kept his face mildly blank as Amy flushed. He'd said it matter of factly; heaven knows getting into another battle with this girl was the last thing they needed. So, he simply folded his arms and waited for the spatting to start. He was _not_ going to lose his cool this time.

"O− okay I...guess I deserved that."

Well that was new. Shadow blinked and raised an eyebrow. An apology wasn't what he ever expected to come out of this girl. '_Still, take what you can get.'_ He thought with a mental shrug.

"Yeah maybe. Now why is it someone like you is out here alone?! Are you insane?" Ok, lost some of the cool. Shadow winced as Amy's eyes started snapping and her hands clenched into fists.

"Insane? Really? That's funny, 'cause I'm pretty sure it's waaayyy past your bedtime if you're acting your age!"

Shadow closed his eyes and sighed. "It never changes with you. I save your virginity and self-esteem and this is what I get. Wow, your appreciation is just astounding."

He shook his head and kick-started his bike, but before he could go more than two feet, Amy leaped in front of him and grabbed the handle bars.

"Wait! Look...I know, ok? And I'm...I'm sorry."

Had Amy been anybody else, Shadow would've smirked at watching them shift their pride to apologize. And with Amy, that was a lot of pride to shift.

"But I'm also sorry for the way I've been acting." Amy continued, staring at the bike's dashboard. "I thought you were a girl-hating jerk that didn't care."

She met his gaze with sad eyes. "I guess I was wrong."

Shadow's brief flash of humor evaporated as he realized that now it was his turn. The black hedgehog shut off the engine.

"So was I. I thought you were just another boneheaded fangirl obsessed with my looks. I'll never make that mistake again."

He held out his hand. "Truce?"

Amy shook his hand with a small smile. "Truce."

"Good. Now get on."

"What?'

Shadow rolled his eyes impatiently. "You do it again. Do you honestly believe that I'm just going to leave you here?"

As expected, Amy's defensive side kicked in. "I can find my way home."

"Yeah, what street are we on?"

"I− I dont know!"

"Exactly. Get on or your parents will find out you're missing."

He grinned as Amy blushed and looked away. Now that they were more or less on the same side, things were a little more fun.

"How do you−"

"Why else would you be alone?"

The change in his tone caught Amy's attention and she looked up to see an unfathomable expression and stared into his eyes.

He stared back.

There was a long, long silence as something in Shadow's red eyes held her captive. The quiet deepened around them and seemed to last forever. The very air felt like it was heating up, warming her fur under her jacket.

Abruptly, Shadow blinked.

"Get on."


	6. Chapter 5: Scatter Sunshine!

Scatter the Sunshine!

Amy held on tightly as the bike roared down the dark streets. Underneath her fingers, she felt Shadow's abdominal muscles rippling and flexing in sync with the motorcycle's movements; like he was part of the machine. The cool wind blew her hair back as the engine's scratchy roar mellowed out into a well-maintained purr. '_It's not so bad once you get used to it.'_ Amy realized. '_Just like its owner.'_

After she'd gabbled her address to him, Shadow stayed silent, guiding them through the streets with the professional air only a local could posses. Normally, Amy would've thought he was intentionally ignoring her, but what with new 'peace treaty' in affect, she was going to let it slide.

Besides, she could see his ears twitching, a universal sign of heavy thinking.

Five minutes later, they coasted to a stop a block away from her house.

"Well," Amy said, sliding off the bike's seat and shaking her wild bangs out of her eyes. "Thanks."

"Sure."

Amy walked up the sidewalk, praying her parents were asleep and hopefully unaware that she was missing. Rounding the corner, she saw the dark windows and quiet walls of her home and heaved a sigh of relief.

"Ah yes, this is where you live."

Amy jumped violently as Shadow leaned against a palm beside her. He was so darn quiet! The black hedgehog stared at the house with a tired expression.

"I remember the last girl who lived here."

"What was she like?" Amy asked, although she thought she already knew the answer.

"Annoying."

"Right."

"Amy?"

Amy turned and jumped again. He was a lot closer than before. A lot closer. Her throat suddenly went dry and she swallowed. Shadow's crimson eyes narrowed.

Swiftly, he licked his thumb and rubbed it against her cheek, wiping away dried blood. Amy didn't move.

"Don't do this again." He muttered. Turning on his heel, Shadow walked away, disappearing into the dark and leaving two confused green eyes staring after him.

~*~*~*~

"So what would you say is your greatest ambition?"

A white and brown beagle held her notepad at the ready, green eyes narrowed in concentration as she waited for Amy's answer, the professional Ticonderoga 2 pencil quivering with suppressed motion.

Amy sipped her juice, thinking hard. "Um...to never give in."

A black fox raised an eyebrow as the beagle scribbled furiously. "Huh, deep. Certainly different from what most people say, eh Light?"

Light looked up from her frantic writing and nodded, her large ears flapping. "Yep. It's always the whole 'Go to the Prom with whoever', or 'Get outta this blankety-blank-blank school'. Nice to see some variety! Ok, next question..."

Coming into lunch, Amy had planned on catching up on reading the Fablehaven series, but the moment she walked in, a camera flash blinded her.

"Oh wow." Amy shook the stars from her eyes and slowly focused on an ebony fox holding a camera and a pearly white and chocolate beagle with a bright smile.

"Hi! I'm special reporter Light the Dog for the school newspaper and this is my associate Dark Anderson."

"Associate?" Dark asked, his expression confused. "I'm the photographer."

Light sighed. "I know. I'm just trying to sound professional Dark! You know, reel people in for a story."

Amy stared at the two and stifled a giggle. They were so cute together. Trying to get back on track, Light grinned at Amy.

"Anyway, we were wondering if you'd answer some questions for a profile page?"

"O-okay, sure."

And so, Amy spent the lunch hour answering questions and posing for pictures. Light listened with rapt attention, the yellow pencil she clutched almost a blur. Dark sat and commented occasionally, randomly taking pictures− mercifully without the flash −and slipping in extra queries.

Other than that, the fox spent his time watching Light.

And trying to be sneaky about it, Light would sneak glances at Dark.

None of this was lost on Amy, and she smiled wider. It was too cute; Yin and Yang in the flesh! It seemed impossible that they _wouldn't_ get together. She wished them well.

She was like that once, a lifetime ago. But...it wasn't meant to be, unlike the obvious example in front of her. Amy drank more of her Minute Maid to keep from sighing. Crushes...

"Well, that should do it! Thanks a lot Amy and I hope you like our School." Light bubbled as she jumped up in excitement. "Check out page 12 in the next issue!"

She bounced off whistling. Dark snapped one more shot of Amy's head before following.

"Later."

"Bye." Still smiling, Amy drained the last of her juice and stood. '_So much for reading. Oh well, I can do it later.'_

Left with some time to kill, Amy wandered around the school. Teens lounged on stairs, hangin out with friends or just chilling.

Well, not quite.

"Gah! How am I supposed to get this done in _ten freaking minutes_?!"

"I told you. You wait, you're late."

Curious, Amy neared a pair sitting on the second level stairs. A frantic silver hedgehog was close to pulling out his quills as his friend, a regal looking purple cat scolded him. Unfinished trigonometry homework lay on the floor like a messenger of doom.

"And the worst part is that I barely get this junk!" The hedgehog moaned, golden eyes hopeless.

"One word Silver: Calculator." The car sighed.

"I had one! Some jerk stole it!"

"Um, excuse me?"

The two looked at Amy, who smiled in understanding. "I heard you talking and if you want, you can borrow my calculator. We won't start trig for another 2 weeks."

The metallic hedgehog's shoulders slumped with relief. "Oh thank you! I really don't want to break my 'B' streak. You're a life saver!" He was practically weeping as he took the calculator before diving into his textbook.

The cat shook her head, her spiky ponytail bobbing through the air.

"If it gives him a B, he's happy." She sighed. "I'm Blaze. Thanks for the help."

"Amy." Amy replied, shaking her hand. "And sure thing! It was my pleasure. Good luck, ah..."

"Silver." Blaze supplied before nudging him in the ribs.

"Yeah, pleased to meet ya." Silver waved absentmindedly, punching numbers into the calculator. Blaze shook her head again and rolled her eyes.

Grinning wider than ever, Amy climbed the stairs, unaware of two yellow-green eyes watching her. The pink hedgehog sauntered down the hall with the good feeling jazz playing in her head. A locker rattled just as she passed and she stopped, eyes growing larger as she heard muffled yelling.

_"Let me outhahere! I cansbreef! Hulpf!"_

Amy ran up and knocked on the gray door. "Hello? Are you alright?"

_"Pweasf, help meef!"_

"Ok, brace yourself."

Amy backed up, took a deep breath, sprinted forward and kicked the locker with all her might.

"KYAA!"

_Slam._

The door popped open and Bach tumbled out, gasping. "Freedom! Sweet, blessed freedom! Ah, fresh air!"

Nursing a bruised foot, Amy limped over to the diminutive feline. "Bach? What were you doing in there?"

At the sound of her voice, Bach jumped and flushed, fiddling with his Jack Skeleton hoody. "AH---um, well it's...um hard to outrun people...sometimes. Um...h-how did you get that locker open anyway?"

Amy frowned and slung an arm around the cat's tiny shoulders. "I've had practice. Come on; let's get an ice cream sandwich. I think you need one."

He watched Amy steer the cat in the direction of the cafeteria. His hooded eyes lingered on her bright caring smile. He melted farther into the shadows, his sigh nothing more than wind.

~*~*~*~

"I dunno, I guess they don't appreciate the fine arts or something." Bach sniffed after his third Klondike. "Neanderthals."

Amy nodded as Bach reached for number four. Apparently, copious amounts of sugar could successfully get Bach out of his timid shell. After the second sandwich, Bach talked non-stop about his troubles and interests in school. The constant stream of abuses and bullying lit a fire of self-righteous anger in Amy's gut. Small wonder this little guy jumped at his shadow!

"Bach, who keeps going after you?"

All of Bach's casual easiness drained with the blood in his face. His shoulders hunched and he jerked his head wildly around to check for people watching.

"That's...not som---thing I can t-talk about." He squeezed through tight lips. His striped face was rigid, violet eyes panicked. He looked like he was going to explode!

"Why not?" Amy pressed, leaning forward with determined green eyes. "This has got to stop Bach! You can't live like this all the time!"

"I know, b-but--"

"Don't you want to do something about it?!"

"Yes--no, I−"

"Bach, how can you just let people walk over y−"

"It'll just make it all _worse_ ok?!" Bach burst out as the pressure blew his control. I"f somebody tells on them, they'll blame me and just come at me harder! Instead of everyday, I'll be running for my life every _second_ until my heart gives out! Then, they might go after whoever busted them, and I'll feel guilty, then they'd start hating me, and---and..."

Bach stopped and sat back down, breathing hard. He looked at his melting ice cream and numbly pushed it away.

"I can't deal with that. Things are bad enough as it is."

Amy stared at him, sympathy and anger melding together. After several seconds of silence she stood up, walked around the lunch table, and hugged him. Bach jumped like he'd been electrocuted and blushed a fiery red.

"I'm sorry things are so hard for you, but I really want to help Bach." Amy gently took his hand with a warm smile. "You can trust me."

The shehog blinked when Bach didn't immediately answer. The cat's pupils dilated and his tail twitched spastically. Finally, his eyes glazed over and his smile looked almost maniacal.

"Thanks...Amy." His voice broke on her name.

Amy giggled as the bell rang, ending lunch break. "Come on," she said, pulling Bach to his feet. "Or else we'll be late."

Bach nodded dreamily.

~*~*~*~

_"Mama? Mama, where are you?"_

_He groped through the darkness, the ground cold and rough beneath his bare feet. He whimpered in fear, strangled sounds echoing through the black fog surrounding him._

_"Mama!"_

_He started running, stumbling over hidden rocks. Angry yelling voices and despairing moans filled his head and he started to cry._

_"Mama!"_

_He tripped, skinning his small knees. Sobbing, he pulled himself up onto all fours, mucus dribbling from his nose. Suddenly, light blazed in front of him, blinding him. He shielded his face as a horn blared with the horrible squealing of breaks and somebody shrieked his name in horror._

_"No!"_

_Something shoved him out of the way._

_Crash._

_"MAMA!!!"_

The child's scream echoed in his ears as he bolted upright, chest heaving, fur bristling and drenched with sweat. It took him a moment to remember where he was, in bed, the covers twisted and knotted around him. He panted hard through serrated teeth, throat constricted from fought emotion.

He held his head, vainly trying to slow his heart rate, to forget the gruesome images swirling behind his closed eyes, to forget his nightmare...

...his memories.

He fell back against the bed, balling up the covers in one fist. He didn't bother checking the clock; he knew it was early morning. His sigh stirred the silent air. Just two more days of the worst week ever, besides one.

**Author's Note: Takes forever to write this stuff...*grumbles*  
anywayz, Amy, Shadow, Silver, and Blaze belong to Sega. **

Light the Dog **and **Dark the Fox(for whom I have added the lastname and the beagle-ness to Light) **belong to Legendary Fairy. Hope you don't mind the changes! ^^'  
Bach the Cat belongs to myself-ith. Eat Pizza and be Merry!**

**Elise the Cat: Song copyright of the LDS Hymnbook. yes, she is Mormon. R&R!!**


End file.
